NTSB Investigation: Update on Vintage Military Aircraft Crash in Dallas

Just a touch over a week after the deadly crash of two World War II planes in Dallas, the NTSB is working on its investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision. In this investigation, they are examining the following:
– why both aircraft were flying at the same altitude,
– why both aircraft were flying in the same air space,
– why both aircraft were flying not equipped with flight data recorders, commonly known as backboxes.

Air Force Times and the Associated Press report:

Neither aircraft was equipped with a flight-data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder, separate devices referred to collectively as the black boxes, and neither were required to have those devices, Graham said.

Although rain was hampering the collection of pieces of the B-17 bomber, Graham said Monday that an electronic flight display from the B-17 and a GPS navigational unit from the fighter, both damaged in the crash, will be sent to an NTSB laboratory to see if data can be recovered.

“Data that these types of units may have … would be things like GPS location, possible altitudes of the aircraft and the air speeds of the aircraft,” Graham said during a news conference.

He said it’s also possible the NTSB would consider recommending vintage aircraft like those involved in Saturday’s crash, have flight data recorders on board.

Investigators will examine the wreckage from both aircraft, conduct interviews of crews present at the air show and obtain pilot training and aircraft maintenance records.

“We’ll look at everything that we can and we’ll let the evidence basically lead us to the appropriate conclusions. At this point, we will not speculate” on the cause, Graham said.

A preliminary report from the NTSB is expected in four to six weeks, while a final report will take up to 18 months to complete.

Paul Crespo